Article by Viory
Lawyers representing the Senegalese Football Federation slammed the African Football Confederation’s decision to award the title of the 2025 AFCON to Morocco during a press conference in Paris on Thursday, calling the decision ‘gross, absurd, and irrational’.
“Whatever Morocco has managed to get CAF to do – whether through surprise, malice, or some other means – if the world allows it to happen, if CAS allows it to happen, the winner of the next World Cup will also be decided in a law firm in Paris, Africa, or the United States,” said Seydou Diagne, one of the lawyers representing the Senegalese Football Federation, adding, “We need to train lawyers if we want stars on our shirts.”
He added that, to date, there has been no decision by the entity or its appeals committee ordering the Senegalese Football Federation or the national team to return the medals or the trophy.
“In the ruling that has been notified to us, the Jury of Appeal clearly stated that it rejected all other claims made by the Royal Moroccan Football Federation. The match result is confirmed as 3–0. The withdrawal of the Senegalese team is confirmed. However, the claims for the return of the trophy and the prize money, as well as the request for Morocco to be declared the winner, have been rejected,” Diagne explained.
According to Juan de Dios Crespo-Perez, a Spanish lawyer also representing Senegal, the case ‘goes against the world of football’, while Serge Vittoz, a Swiss attorney also backing the ‘Lions of Teranga’, said that the federation intends to request an expedited procedure, as they want the process to move faster.
“However, it is important to note that for an expedited procedure to be implemented, all parties must agree. The Senegalese Football Federation considers that it won on the pitch, that the law is on its side, and that, under these circumstances, things need to move quickly. Unfortunately, we will have to see what the position of the other parties is,” Vittoz added.
The AFCON 2025 final took place on January 18, with Senegal defeating Morocco 1–0 in a tightly contested match that included a 14-minute delay after Senegalese players left the field in protest of refereeing decisions.
The CAF Appeals Board later ruled that Senegal’s stoppage-time walk-off constituted a ‘refusal to play’, triggering an automatic forfeiture that annulled the 1–0 result and awarded Morocco a default 3–0 victory, officially naming them the 2025 AFCON champions.
The decision has triggered a formal dispute between Senegalese football authorities and CAF.
Article by Viory
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